T&T Women and Men’s teams get CAC Games Groupings

Trinidad and Tobago’s Senior Women’s Team will come up against Mexico, Haiti and Nicaragua in Group B of the Women’s football tournament at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Barranquilla, Colombia in July.

T&T will face Mexico in their opening match on July 20th at the Estadio Moderno Julio Torres. They then face Nicaragua on July 22nd and Haiti on July 24th. Group A comprises of Costa Rica, hosts Colombia, Venezuela and Jamaica. The Group winners and runners up will advance to the semi finals. The Gold Medal and Bronze Medal matches are scheduled for July 30th.

T&T Women’s head coach Jamaal Shabazz said these matches would be ideal for his players to challenge themselves against good quality opposition and will serve well ahead of the CONCACAF Caribbean Final Round of World Cup qualifiers in August.

“These matches in the CAC Games are providing a great opportunity for us to measure where we are at CONCACAF level,” Shabazz told TTFA Media.

“In football you cannot elevate by being a blogger. You improve by raising your standard when you meet tougher opposition. Mexico, Nicaragua and Haiti are certainly tougher opposition but we are ambitious enough to at least desire a medal in this CAC games. Allahu ‘Alim and God knows best,” Shabazz continued.

The Trinidad and Tobago Men’s Under 20 team will also appear at the CAC Games and are in Group A alongside Colombia, Costa Rica and Honduras. The Men’s tournament is for under 21 players with teams allowed three players over the age of 21. T&T will face Honduras on July 20th at the Rogelio Martinez Stadium in Barranquilla, followed by Costa Rica on July 22nd and Colombia on July 24th. Group B comprises Mexico, Venezuela, El Salvador and Haiti. The Gold and Bronze Medal matches are scheduled for July 31st. The T&T U-20 Men’s Team is preparing for the CONCACAF Men’s U-20 World Cup qualifiers in November.

The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association was formed on July 23rd, 1908. Expatriate workers who taught the game to locals played the game in the oilfields.

A certain player by the name of Dwight Yorke captained this country to its first ever FIFA World Cup, the 1991 FIFA Under 20 World Cup in Portugal. And in 2006 he also captained the Senior Men's Team to the 2006 World Cup in Germany